Search This Blog

My Pride and Joy

Fewer things bring me greater joy than turning the last page of a book and closing the back cover. I love the feeling of accomplishment I get holding a book and knowing that I’ve consumed that story, those words, a part of the author’s soul. I love feeling that I am different in some way because I have read that book - every time you read someone else’s thoughts, you are infusing your own with a piece of them. It’s a profound thought, really, to know that we are so intimately connected by the written word.

Inspired by my friend Stacey’s completed 2010 resolution to read 50 books in a year, I thought I would count how many I read last year. The final count is somewhere around 40 (give or take one or two, because there are some that overlapped Christmases on both ends). I thought I would list them, if for no other reason than my own pleasure, and note the ones that I particularly enjoyed and think are worth reading, or the ones that are generally awful and should be avoided. (You'll also note that I have a habit of finding an author I like and reading them in bulk. I suppose there are worse customs one could have.)

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez - One of the best books I have ever read. It won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982, and for good reason. A warning: it's a bit of a slog to get through the first third and can get confusing with characters and names, but never have I found a book whose ending is more worth it. If you haven't read this book, you need to.

Saturday by Ian McEwan - After reading the astounding Atonement, this book was a major let down. It's action is set all in one day, and the whole book is basically McEwan going "Look how good of a writer I am!" Annoying, really.

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Writing My Life by Don Miller - Another brilliant book by my favourite author. Definitely some profound thoughts, especially about the necessity of the now in life, and how we can't wait for life to just happen around us. We need to create our own story-lines.

The Time Traveller’s Wife by Audrey Niffeneger

First Comes Marriage: Modern Advice from the Wisdom of Arranged Marriages by Reva Smith- This book had some interesting thoughts about marriage, like you don't have to have the same interest as your partner, but you do have to share the same morals and virtues to make a marriage work. Generally, though, it was poorly written and seemed aimed at teen girls. By and large a waste of my money.

The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey

Lottery by Patricia Wood

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer - Another must-read. This is the story of a ten year-old boy who loses his father in 9/11. The narrative is unique, complicated, and beautiful. This is one of those books that I makes you angry when you have to put it down to do things like go to work and eat. One of my favourite books I've ever read.

A Contract With God by Will Eisner

In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson - I have a hard time saying any of Bryson's books are my favourite because I love almost everything he's written, but this is one of his best. Funny, informative, and an historical document, it's the embodiment of a perfect piece of travel literature.

Is It Just Me or is Everything Shit?: The Encyclopedia of Modern Life by Alan McArthur and Steve Lowe

Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer - This book was a massive let down after reading ELaIC by Foer. The ending almost makes it worthwhile, but you have to suspend your disbelief for so much of the novel that I couldn't get into it. Many disagree with me, though, so I still recommend checking it out.

Angry Conversations With God: A Snarky but Authentic Spiritual Memoir by Susan Isaacs - I love this book. It's a real, raw retelling of a rocky spiritual journey, filled with profound thoughts and honest revelations. I was moved.

Little House on Rocky Ridge by Roger Lea MacBride

Paper Towns by John Green

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

On the Way Home: The Diary of a Trip from South Dakota to Mansfield, Missouri, in 1894 by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Looking for Alaska by John Green

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan - This might be my favourite John Green book, for several reasons. One, John and David each took turns writing alternating chapters, so the book is told from the perspective of two different characters. Two, it's a great story about acceptance, sexual orientation, and trying to reconcile your identity based on your current friends. I thought it was an interesting book, to say the least.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood - Totally don't get the hype around this book at all. I felt like there was an eons worth of build up for, like, the most unexciting climax ever. I finished the book and thought "That's it? All that book for no big deal?"

Come, Thou Tortoise by Jessica Grant - Jessica Grant is a Newfoundland native and this, her first book, won Amazon's First Novel Award, and for good reason. It's a unique story of a mentally challenged girl, her pet tortoise Winnifred, and her attempt to understand her past in the wake of her father's death. It's funny and touching and deep and worth the read.

Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott

Let the Great World Spin: A Novel by Colum Mccann

The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 1) by Lemony Snicket - I think Lemony Snicket is one of the best children's writers that I've ever read. He doesn't talk down to his readers and isn't afraid to tackle difficult and dark topics in his books, while still being funny and light hearted.

For One More Day by Mitch Albom

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

The Maestro by Tim Wynne-Jones

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - Suzanne Collins' trilogy (including the next two books) are without a doubt my favourite find of this year. I've already blogged about the first book, which you can find here, but the other two are just as good. If you read nothing else this year, read this trilogy. I mean it. Seriously, seriously good.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie - I read this book for a class last semester, and it's stayed with me. It's a semi-autobiographical story about a Native American who is forced to choose between retaining his heritage and achieving a better life in the "white man's" world. It's a powerful Young Adult novel that I didn't think would affect me as much as I did, but after reading it, I really questioned equality and if it actually exists. It's one of those books that everyone should probably read in the hopes of spreading understanding and tolerance.

Peter and Wendy by J.M. Barrie

Soccernomics: Why England Loses, Why Germany and Brazil Win, and Why the U.S., Japan, Australia, Turkey - and Even Iraq - Are Destined to Become the Kings of the World’s Most Popular Sport by Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski - I wrote about this book in an earlier post as well. See here if you're interested.

I’m a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After 20 Years Away by Bill Bryson - I laughed out loud a lot while reading this book. It's a collection of short articles published in a New Hampshire newspaper between 1994-1996. Not my favourite Bryson, but, as with all his books, a good read.

Skim by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki

Sticks and Stones: The Troublesome Success of Children’s Literature from Slovenly Peter to Harry Potter by Jack Zipes

Harvey by Herve Bouchard

At Home: A Short History of Private Life by Bill Bryson - I gave an excerpt from this book in an earlier post (see here). I've since finished it and, surprise surprise, I loved it. Bryson, as always, is fascinating, funny, and completely engaging. It's not for everyone, I know, because it's dense and very historical. But he makes reading about the fabrication of cement interesting, and that is a feat of word manipulation if there ever was one.

Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris - If you've ever read or heard any of Sedaris' essays, you'll know he is essentially a stand-up comedian on paper. This is a link to one of his essays, both in print and audio, that's in this book. Check it out. You will legitimately laugh out loud, I pinky swear.

Feed by M.T. Anderson

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - This is one of the most profound books I have ever read. It's the story of a German girl and her foster family during WWII. The book centers around the importance of reading in preserving life - both physically, as well as the soul. It's a heavy book, but so many times I had to put it down and ponder what I had just read. Zusak has an incredible command of language.

Thanks for indulging me! Please leave me comments or emails telling me what your favourite literary finds of 2010 were. I'm always looking for new reads, and I don't really possess the skill of picking great books off the shelves at random.

I don't know, to be honest. I find when I'm procrastinating, I'll read books in series, so I'll have more books to distract me. I also read really fast, so I can usually read a book over a period of three or four sittings. I am by and large much more productive when I am busy. And its amazing what one can get done when one cuts their Facebook and YouTube time in half.

Among others, "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" stands out to me as something I would like to read. Your description reminds me of "The Reluctant Fundamentalist" which, if you haven't read yet, you should.

Popular posts from this blog

When I was 10 years old, my dad went to England on a business trip. He was to spend the majority of his time driving in and around a village in Cornwall called Gweek. I thought he was, as my father is wont to do, joking.It turned out Gweek was indeed a very real place, and I was about to embark on the longest love affair of my life. My dad came home laden with pictures of rolling green countryside and roads framed with low rock walls. He told us about Cornish pasties and navigating the narrow and ancient streets, playing cornet with the local brass band in an old stone church, and the perils of driving on the opposite side of the road. He brought back Cadbury Flake chocolate bars for me and my sister. I was smitten. I spent my teen years periodically begging my parents to move us to England; or, at the very least, take us on a grand tour of London and beyond. But my mother didn’t fly, and a trip across the pond in the mid-1990s was unimaginable for my family. So I did the best I could w…

I am, generally, fairly confident. Like any human person, I have my normal ebbs and flows - sometimes I feel like I could win over the world with a single glance; other times I feel like hiding under my desk and waiting for the apocalypse.

But I've recently experienced a real Confidence High, and now I'm sitting deep in the Confidence Low.

My team at work has just finished delivering our annual conference. It was a massive undertaking and we delivered a complex and engaging conference experience to 500 people in a very short period of time. The lead-up to the conference was a full pendulum of emotions, as successes and failures came daily - even hourly. Still, as I checked more and more items off my to-do list and looked back at the growing pile of accomplishments, my confidence level remained pretty steady.

The two-day conference was a roaring success - both for my colleagues, but also for me personally. I've never felt so proud of what I had produced. I made great connec…

A toast to 2017, the year of Returning.A toast to Melinda, whose death sent shockwaves through my present and returned me - to summers at Starrigan; andevery second Saturday; andstaying far too late; andnights around our family dinner table; andan airport photoshoot; anda tearful declaration of your imprint on my life.To January 1st, 2017, when we rang in your last New Year - together. A toast to London,where I've dreamed of returning since the moment I left.Everything, everything reminded me of that first summer - cobblestones and clocks and crowds, andbridges and books and Bank, andtrains and tea and the theatre, anddelights, dreams, desires.To the city where I first left my heart a decade ago, and returned to tuck it in; safe among aged streets until it calls me home again.A toast to stories,whose beloved prose I've revisited time and time again.To the characters and worlds I've lived in many times before - the boy who lived; andBarnum and Skip; andheavy boots, andcarro…